The members of Municipalities of Saskatchewan have spoken. They want the organization’s old name back.
Municipalities of Saskatchewan announced in a release on Friday that it will be transitioning back to the name Saskatchewan Urban Municipalities Association (SUMA) after a vote from its membership. The vote was held virtually from June 1 to 3.
“As a member-focused association, our members will always have the final say on important decisions,” said Mayor Rodger Hayward, who serves as president of Municipalities of Saskatchewan, in a statement on Friday. “We respect the decision that has been reached through an open and transparent membership vote.”
The organizations says 274 of the 364 votes cast opposed changing the name to Municipalities of Saskatchewan. Of the 12 regions part of the organization, two were in favour of proceeding with the name change.
“No matter our name, our values and principles remain the same,” said Hayward. “We continue to represent the interests of Saskatchewan’s hometowns – the cities, towns, villages, resort villages, and northern municipalities that more than 80 per cent of Saskatchewan’s population call home.”
News of a rebrand to Municipalities of Saskatchewan were first announced in Feb. 2020. However in order to change the name, the Saskatchewan government would have needed the association’s membership to approve the decision first.
The organization says its transition back to SUMA will happen over the coming weeks.
